Pearl's peeping Tom scurried out of the tree and ran back to his chores. He knew the mistress's mood could change rapidly and it was best to take advantage of her humor. Pearl laughed and ached a bit as he left. The ache came from a time when she was as young as the stableboy and had cloudy dreams of love. She had believed and felty in her heart that the father of her children was her prince, her savior, keeping her from a lonely jaded heart. When marriage had more to do with mundacity she could here the glass slipper fall from her prince's hand, shattering into millions of pieces. Pieces for her to clean up and step on with blood and tears that she kept to herself. Pearl got out of the pond and dressed, as she adjusted her garments she heard a gasp from a woman. "Mistress Compton! Oh my!" It was the tutor. She was a prissy prim thing would be another nitter headed dimwit inspite of vast academic knowledge. "Be not so scandalized Mistress Alexandra. You did after all walk in on another woman dressing. not a man." Pearl said smoothly. " But Mistress Compton anyone could have seen you!" said the tutor. "Yes and it is my land and if anyone sees me then they know I swim at noon, so they are either spying or treaspassing. Therefore I would be obliged to draw a weapon or have them flogged....sigh... Mistress Alexandra I assume you were to tell me of the children's progress today?" "Yes, well I did. Mistress Compton the girls are very bright indeed. They perform their writtting tasks with some percission. There word mastery is very satisfactory. What disturbs me is that your eldest offered to read cards to me. That is of the devils teaching mistress! those gypsies have bedeviled them!" The tutor clasped her hands nervously. "You will not speak nonsense Alexandra. It is but an entertainment to read the tarot. There is nothing bedeviling about my gypsy kin! You will care to watch your tongue and remember you are employed by my kindness." Pearl was irritated with twit. "Mistress it is their father that pays my salary." Alexandra's voice shook. "Those children would not be here for you to be employed were it not Master Compton's unholy desires for a half gypsy woman Alexandra. Don't think I have no influence and authority regarding your employ." "Very well Mistress Pearl." she said and walked away quietly. Pearl kicked rocks across the ground as she walked back to the manor. She was to angry to ride the horse back. Her children had intelligence, creativity, imagination, humor, defiance, and beauty. It made Pearl shudder a bit to wonder of there future, theirs rested heavily on the decisions of men. Would her girls be able to put on the glass slipper without it shattering? She came to the manor. they were waiting her anxiously, they had been seated still for to amny hours. they ran to her embrace.